When soap is contacted with water, the water softens and dissolves the soap to form a lather. When soap is used in showers, the shower water contacts the soap not only during use, but also while the soap is awaiting use on a convenient surface or in a soap receptable. While so positioned on a soap tray or other receptacle, the soap may be struck by shower water either directly from the shower spray or indirectly by water directed into the receptacle. The water thus contacting the soap's surface deteriorates and gradually dissolves the soap. The water may also collect and pool beneath and around the soap bar. This latter condition further continues the dissolving action on the soap. Often a layer of watery soap forms on the bar of soap, and this layer easily separates from the soap when it is picked up and used. This causes further dissolution and loss of the soap.
Various devices and articles have been used to provide convenient access to a soap bar, while minimizing the adverse effects shower water has on the soap. Many showers and baths of today, for example, have ceramic tile receptacles or recesses in the wall of the shower or bathtub area. These recesses frequently have a bottom with several ribs raised in the surface. The ribs support the soap and help to keep it away from puddled water which accumulates by draining directly from the soap, or which collects in the recesses from water sprayed or splashed into the recesses. In either case, quantities of water collect and pool around the bottom of the soap sitting on the ridges, thereby causing the soap to dissolve and deteriorate.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,491,953 describes a soap holder formed in the side of a sink, wash basin or the like. A water drainage pipe connects the soap holder receptacle to the sink drain. Water spraying or splashing into the receptacle or dripping from the soap flows to an outlet in the receptacle. The pipe connected to this outlet empties into the main sink drain. This system could be cast into a tub or shower when manufactured, or it could be added during building construction. It appears that approach, however, could not be easily retrofitted into existing bathrooms. The system also appears not to shelter soap from water spraying or splashing into the receptacle.
Another early attempt to deal with water splashing into a soap receptacle soap is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,536,906. The soap dish shown there extends away from the wall to a semicircular open ended gutter which discharges water from the soap dish into a sink or tub. A later patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,248, describes a snap-in dish liner which fits an existing ceramic soap dish recess in a tub or shower. The liner has top and side walls which extend outwardly from the recess for a distance to reduce or restrict water entering the recess and dissolving the soap. These soap receptacles, however, appear not to shelter the soap; nor do they provide for semi-automatic retrieval of the soap.